The present specification refers to a cyclonic or anti-cyclonic conversion tower, whose purpose is to be used as a tower with the capacity for obtaining electrical energy from the same.
The application of this invention is within the industry which manufactures apparatus, devices and elements for the transformation of energy from different origins into electrical energy.
Cyclonic or anti-cyclonic conversion towers are systems which artificially reproduce confined turbulent flows, called vortices, which may be ascending or descending, from laminar wind flows. Inside the tower the different environmental energies can be integrated, that is kinetic wind energy, baric energy due to differences in atmospheric pressure at different levels of the atmosphere, convective thermal energy, and also thermal energy from condensation.
Conventional cyclonic or anti-cyclonic towers are largely made up of a hollow central conduit, called a vortical duct from which, almost tangentially, two or more membranes, screens or vertical structures emerge, whose generatrices have a curved profile with an aerodynamic cross-section.
Two of said membranes or screens, associated with the corresponding section of the central vortical duct, constitute a convector.
As a general rule, there are usually five convectors per level, when they can be orientated in all directions. It must be pointed out that two of these membranes or screens of each convector are supported by means of stiffeners, which are horizontal plates with an aerodynamic cross-section.
At the beginning of the convectors of the vortical duct, the blocking devices are placed, which allow the windward entry of the laminar outer flow but not the exit of flow from the vortical duct to the outside to leeward.
In the upper part of the cyclonic converter there is the diffuser, which prevents the effect of shearing on the exit vortex caused by the flow of laminar air outside the tower, and in the lower part of the converter the deflector is situated, which prevents the depression created by the absorption of the vortical flow.
Normally, at the base and at the upper part of the tower, the aero-turbines, contra-rotatory or not, are placed with the electrical generator, water pump, compressor or any element capable of generating energy, and optionally a hothouse may be added or devices for heating the air and evaporating water, with control of the thermal conditions, including a base in the form of a shallow pool of water in order to heat the air and attempt to saturate it with water vapour, either from the hothouse itself or from one or several hydric hothouses.
A cyclonic or anti-cyclonic conversion tower with the features indicated above is disclosed in Spanish Invention Patent number 493,713.
However, these cyclonic or anti-cyclonic conversion towers have a number of mechanical and cost drawbacks, arising to a great extent from the construction of conventional blocking devices.
As may be observed in Spanish Invention Patent number 493,713, the blocking devices are movable screens with an aerodynamic profile which rest upon damping arms which turn around their support on one of the membranes or screens of the convector, in such a way that the blocking devices open when they are in a convector which must allow the passage of the exterior fluid or flow to the vortical duct, and close when the fluid or flow attempts to leave the central vortical duct outwards.
A first problem consists of the reduction in the performance of the vortex, and even the destruction of the same due to the partial penetration of the blocking device into the vortical duct.
Moreover, and secondly, the great stresses in the supporting points of the arms which hold the blocking devices, in the membranes or screens of the convectors and in the blocking devices themselves, involve a considerable difficulty for construction.
Bear in mind, for example, that for a 100 Mw conversion tower, each blocking device would consist of screens of 70 m long by 3 m high, which holding and moving involve enormous stresses on the supporting points of the holding arms.
This problem is further aggravated by the fact that sudden variations in wind speed or direction will increase the stresses, and as a result of these stresses, the shock absorbers and ball-and-socket joints of the holding arms and the blocking devices themselves undergo great wear, and in practice the materials and technology to make them at an acceptable cost are not known.
Accordingly, the construction of these conversion towers requires special alloys of high rigidity but at the same time very light, which considerably increases the cost of said conversion towers.
Moreover, their maintenance is highly expensive and risky, requiring a large number of skilled personnel. At the same time, the high construction and maintenance costs as well as the limited performance caused by a vortex which is defective as a consequence of the partial introduction of the blocking devices in the central vortical duct, prevent the massive use of conversion towers for energy generation.
The applicant is not aware that at the present time any element such as those mentioned above has been built.
In a first embodiment, the cyclonic or anti-cyclonic conversion tower which is the object of the invention is comprised by a central vortical duct, at least one convector or several made up of two vertical membranes or screens, generated by a curve and which are limited at one of their sides by the central vortical duct, and at least two stiffeners per convector, a blocking device in the form of one guiding crown per convector, a diffuser, a deflector, and means for converting kinetic energy into electrical or mechanical energy. A blocking device can turn on the outer circumference of the central vortical duct, supported on the lower plane and anchored at the upper part of the stiffeners of the convectors.
Preferably, one, several or all the blocking devices which can turn on the outer circumference of the central vortical duct, do so supported and anchored at the upper and lower part of the stiffeners on streamlined rails and with rolling or sliding elements.
More preferably, one, several or all the blocking devices which can turn on the outer circumference of the central vortical duct, do so under the action of the peripheral vortical flow by means of one or more retractable ailerons on the blocking device and servomotorised, or by means of a motorised mechanism of the blocking device itself.
Even more preferably, the number of blocking devices is two, three, four or five.
Also, the invention envisages that one, several or all the blocking devices may or may not turn on the outer circumference of the central vortical duct, being provided with leeward stimulators consisting of vertical slots which open as a result of the depression produced in the blocking devices to leeward.
Still more preferably, inside said cyclonic or anti-cyclonic conversion tower there are sensors for the appropriate controlling, regulating and positioning of one, several or all the blocking devices which can turn on the outer circumference of the central vortical duct, as well as sensors for the advanced detection of strength and direction of wind flows, situated radially at different heights and at symmetrical and appropriate distances on the outside of the cyclonic or anti-cyclonic conversion tower.
Also preferably, the means for converting kinetic energy into electrical or mechanical energy consist of an aero-turbine, contra-rotatory or not, provided with control elements for its blades, for the total or partial opening or closing of its diaphragmatic blocking device and for the exhaust of the same, and also a generator.
Preferably, likewise, there are elements of control and regulation of the flows of the vortex and, optionally, the first embodiment of the cyclonic or anti-cyclonic conversion tower of the present invention also comprises a base in the form of a tank of hot water and saturated air, as well as at least one hydric hothouse, outside the base, from which said hot water and said saturated air come, and more preferably, one or more sensors in each hydric hothouse which detect the humidity and air saturation degree.
In a second embodiment, the cyclonic or anti-cyclonic conversion tower of the present invention comprises a central vortical duct, and at least one convector made up of two vertical membranes or screens, generated by a curve and which are limited at one of their sides by the central vortical duct, as well as at least two stiffeners per convector, one blocking device per convector which rests on damping arms which turn around their support on one of the membranes or screens of the convector, a diffuser, a deflector, and means for converting kinetic energy into electrical or mechanical energy. One, several or all of the blocking devices are provided with leeward stimulators which consist of vertical slots which open as a result of the depression produced in the blocking devices to leeward.
The second embodiment of this invention corresponding to a cyclonic or anti-cyclonic conversion tower may have preferably two, three, four or five blocking devices at each level.
In a third embodiment, the cyclonic or anti-cyclonic conversion tower of the present invention comprises a central vortical duct and at least one convector made up of two vertical membranes or screens, generated by a curve and are limited at one of their sides by the central vortical duct, having at least two stiffeners per convector, one blocking device per convector, a diffuser, a deflector, and means for converting kinetic energy into electrical or mechanical energy, in which at least one blocking device consists of several narrow and vertical slats situated all around the outer perimeter of the vortical duct, in relation to the corresponding convector.
More preferably, in this third embodiment of the cyclonic or anti-cyclonic conversion tower of the invention, one, several or all the vertical slats are aerodynamic.
Even more preferably, in this third embodiment of the cyclonic or anti-cyclonic conversion tower of the invention, the vertical slats open under the action of the flow, or by means of motorised mechanisms fixed in the upper and/or lower part of the corresponding blocking device.
Also preferably, the number of vertical slats of each blocking device in this third embodiment of the cyclonic or anti-cyclonic conversion tower of the invention depends on the strength of the tower and they are all around the perimeter of the outer vortical duct.
In this third embodiment, the cyclonic or anti-cyclonic conversion tower may preferably have sensors inside the conversion tower for appropriately controlling, regulating and positioning one, several or all the vertical slats of the blocking devices corresponding to the convectors, as well as sensors for the advanced detection of the strength and direction of wind flows, situated radially and equidistant at different levels and appropriate distances on the outside of the conversion tower.
Also preferably, in this third embodiment of the conversion tower of the invention, the means for converting electrical or mechanical energy consist of an aero-turbine, contra-rotatory or not, provided with elements for controlling its blades, the total or partial opening or closing of its diaphragmatic blocking device and the exhaust of the same, as well as one or several generators.
Also preferably, there are control and regulation elements of the vortical flow.
Optionally, the third embodiment of the cyclonic-anti-cyclonic conversion tower of the invention also comprises a base in the form of a shallow tank of hot water and saturated air, as well as at least one hydric hothouse, outside the base, from which said hot water and said saturated air come, and more preferably, one or more sensors in each hydric hothouse which detect the degree of humidity and saturation of the air with water vapour.
In a fourth embodiment, the cyclonic or anti-cyclonic conversion tower is carried out on the basis of the construction of a tower made of reinforced concrete, provided with all the elements required for its operation, which has a hollow central area. At a determinate height, a gradual or growing increase begins in the diameter of the tower, which results in the configuration of a tower with a cylindrical lower area and an upper area similar to the trunk of an inverted cone.
The invention also incorporates the relevant articulations on the convectors which in co-operation with the blocking devices of the area determined as a guiding crown, and the area corresponding to the inverted trunco-conical shape, are parts which are anchored to tracks perimetrically positioned on the body of the tower, acting as rails where these mobile parts are anchored, which are gradually opened and closed according to the effect of the wind and in accordance with the creation of the vortex.
The articulation of these parts of the convectors, five of which act together, situated perimetrically, generates the expansion of the vortical duct and consequently multiplies the effectiveness of the invention.
It must be specifically indicated that the blocking devices situated on the perimeter of the vortical duct which adopts the shape of a cylinder, logically have a curvature in accordance with the guiding crown, while those situated on the outer perimeter of the vortical duct in the area which adopts the inverted trunco-conical shape, will have a shape appropriate to carry out their function in a similar way to those situated in the cylindrical area, specifically adopting the surface shape of a split trunk-cone.
It must be reiterated that the blocking devices which have the shape of a guiding crown and also those situated on the perimeter of the trunco-conical guiding crown, each have an angle of 72xc2x0, obtained as a result of dividing the 360xc2x0 of a circle into five identical areas which close the perimeter.
The invention is enhanced by wheels which are incorporated in the rails and consequently have a channelled shape, the steel tracks being fixed to the reinforced concrete and having inner reinforcements, both in the lower and in the upper part, and improved by a servomotor.